PATENT WARS: THE CUSHION FRAME

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The Cushion Frame was patented in 1899 by Charles Travis, and subsequently owned by Colonel Albert Pope of Columbia.

Colonel Pope owned the patent on the conventional ‘cushion frame’ design, which was introduced in 1900 by Barnes Cycle Co.

Iver Johnson introduced a conventional ‘cushion frame’ model (above) only after the patent expired on the cushion frame after 17 years.

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The most popular method for cushion frame rear suspension, employed by the Barnes Cycle Co, below, used a single ‘shock-absorber’ between the top of the seat tube and the rear stays. Colonel Pope obtained the Barnes patent after absorbing the latter company into the American Bicycle Co, and introduced it on Columbia bicycles in 1902 with the Model 86 Men’s Cushion Frame and Model 87 Women’s Cushion Frame. To see it on the 1904 Columbia PLEASE CLICK HERE
 BARNES CUSHION FRAME
1900 barnes cushion frame
TO SEE MORE OF THE
1900 BARNES WHITE FLYER CUSHION FRAME
PLEASE CLICK HERE
CHARLES TRAVIS 1899 ‘CUSHION FRAME’ REAR SUSPENSION PATENT
Patent number: 618627
Filing date: Nov 3, 1897
Issue date: Jan 31, 1899


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SAGER & GREEN CUSHION FRAME PATENT
Patent number: 707262
Filing date: Jan 18, 1902
Issue date: Aug 19, 1902
CUSHION FRAME BICYCLE PATENT 1898
There were two dominant styles of ‘cushion frame’ incorporating suspension on the rear stays. The patent above, filed by James Sager and George Green in 1902, involved two rear stays. I’ve not had a bike with this style of rear suspension, but you can see an example (below) on an Iver Johnson that was owned by Tyler in Colorado.
iver johnson spring frame